Rotary engine.



No. 732,612. PATENTED'JUNE so, 1903.

E. J. BEAKLBY. ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13. 1902. N0 MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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No. 732,612. PATENTED. JUNE 30, 1903'.

E. J. BEAKLEY. ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13, 1902.

. 10 MODEL. 4 SHEETSSHBE-T 6.

Witmzaocis UNITED STATES.

Patented June so, 1903'.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD J. BEAKLEY, OF CHARLOTTE, TENNESSEE, AS$IGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO J. W. FERELL, OF CHARLOTTE, TENNESSEE.

ROTARY ENGINE. Y

:PECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No."732,612, dated June 30, 1903.

Application filed seam... 13.1902. Serial No. 1 2s,s'04. (1T0 model.)

'To alZ whom it may concern: 7 Be it known that I, EDWARD J. BEAKLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Charlotte, in the county of Dickson and State of Tennessee, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rotary engines; and lhe'object thereof isto provide a cheap, durable, and efficient engine having a revolving rotary piston adapted to receive the full impact of the steam, so as to obtain the greatest amount of power.

A further object is to provide means for quickly and efficiently exhausting the utilized steam, thereby reducing the resistance through the exhaust. p

Other objects, as well as the novel details of construction, will be fully described hereinafter and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of an engine constructed in accordance wit-h my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section'.

through the same. Fig. 3is a horizontal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4is ahorizontal sectional view on the line t4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of the interior of the engine, one of the cylinder-head's'being removed. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the piston. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail. perspective view of one of the valves, and Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail view of a slightly-modified form of piston. I

The reference-numeral l designates the cylinder, which is provided withan interior circular chamber, and on the edgesof the cylinder are peripheral flanges 2 and 3, adapted to coincide with and be secured to the cylinder-heads t and 5, connected to the respective ends of the cylinder by means of bolts. Each cylinder-head is provided with a tubular inclined inlet-port, the respective ports being on opposite sides of the piston-shaft, to be referred to hereinafter. The port 6 is preferably on the right side of the shaft, whereas the port 7 is on the left side. It will therefore be noticed that the ports for supplying the motor fluid are out of alinement with each other and that they inclinein different directions.

The reference-numeral 8 designates one of the valves, whichconsists, preferably, of a segmental plate having its top edge curved to conform to the interior of the cylinderand provided with a curved packing-ring 9, fitting in a groove in the curved edge of the valve. The lower edge of the valve is straight, and an abutment 10 projects, laterally from T the edge of said valve, rosting upona'valveseat 11, fitting in grooves 12 and-13, horizontally arranged in the cylinder 1 and immediately over the shaft 14, on which the piston is carried.

The abutments 10 of the respective valves, which are arranged on either side of the piston, extend from the edgeof the valve to a point against .the cylinder-heads. The object of this is to confine the steam into the space formed by the abutment andt-he vertically-arranged valve, so that the steam can only be admitted to the pockets of the piston 16' through one of the ports 17. It will be noticed that the ports 17 are surrounded by inclined walls, so as to direct the fluid into the pockets at atangentto the axle. The

preferred form of the piston consists of a hub, from which projects a plurality of transverse jpartitions 18, radiating therefrom and con nected by diagonally-arranged radiating partitions 19, forming oppositely-disposed pockets 20 and 2lthat is to say, the diagonal partitions alternate with the transverse partitions, so that the force of the steam from each valve will strike the resisting-surface of the pocket in an opposite direction to the other, so that by turning onthe steam or motor fluid from one side and cutting it ofi in the other the piston maybe reversed at will. To make the pockets complete, a peripheral band or ring 22 is formed on the outer edges of the partitions and retains the steamcwitnin the pockets until they are carried below the abutment, when the steam will immediatelyexhaust from the cylinder through either of the. exhaust-ports 22 or 23, according to the direction in which the piston is traveling.

24 and 25 designate stiiffing-boxes'on the respective cylinder-heads through which the shaft 14 projects, said shaft being journaled in suitable journals 26 and 27, carried by the supports 28 and 29. It will be noticed that the exhausts 22 and 23 are below the abutments of the valves, so that as soon as the pockets pass below the abutments the steam will empty into the spaces 30 or 31 and will readily pass Off into the outside atmosphere through either of the exhausts, according to the side from which the steam is fed to the piston. In the form of piston shown in Fig. 8 the pockets are substantially the same as those shown in the preferred form, except that the resisting-surfaces 32 and 33 are parallelwith each other, but alternately arranged and fixed, so that the steam can be admitted in one direction to feed the pockets on both sides of the piston, the object being to increase the power by supplying twice as much motor fluid as in the other form. In this form of piston, however, only one direction of movement can be imparted to the piston, although an increase of power would result. In using this form of piston it will be necessary to slightly modify the arrangement of the inlet-ports, and as they both will have to point in one direction the inlet-ports for one of the valves will have to be changed so as to feed the steam in the same direction as the corresponding valve. Inasmuch as the valves are loosely mounted Within the cylinder-that is to say, as they are not made fast within the cylinderthe pressure of the steam in the space formed thereby in connection with the abutment will cause the valve to fit snugly against the piston, thereby preventing any leakage of the steam within the pockets. Thus the valves Will automatically adjust themselves so as to lie close to the edges of the piston as it revolves, but will permit a sufficient amount of play, so as not to interfere with the rotation thereof.

Of course it will be obvious that the engine will be fitted up with the usual throttlevalves and other accessories usually employed on this type of motor; but as any preferred form might be employed I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate them here. It will also be obvious that slight changes in the form and construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I have therefore reserved the right to make such slight changes and alterations as would suggest themselves from time to time.

I claim- 1. In a rotary engine, the combination with a cylinder and a revolving piston, of a vertically-arranged removable valve, a laterallyarranged valve-seat on which the valve-seat is positioned, and a laterally-extendin g abutment projecting from the valve, said abutment forming a partition to constitute a steam-space within the cylinder, the cylinder having an opening to admit steam on one side of the abutment and an exhaust on the other side of the abutment.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination with a cylinder, of a rotating piston therein provided with pockets, a verticallyarranged valve-plate abutting against the piston and having an opening to direct the fluid into the pockets, and a horizontally-arranged abutment projecting laterally from the valveplate and resting against the cylinder-head, said cylinder-head having a supply-port, the cyliuderbeing provided with an exhaust-port on the opposite side of the abutment for the purpose set forth. 7

3. In a rotary engine the combination with a cylinder and a revolving piston, of a valve within the cylinder having an opening to admit the fluid into contact with the piston, said valve being removable and normally bearing against the piston, a laterally-extending abutment projecting from the bottom edge of the valve and bearing against the cylinder-head and forming a partition whereby a steam-space is formed Within the cylinder, the cylinder having an opening to admit steam on one side of the abutment and an exhaust on the other side.

4. In a rotary engine the combination with a cylinder and a revolving piston, of a vertically-arranged removable valve normally bearing against the piston and having an opening to admit the fluid into contact with the piston, and a laterally-extending abutment projecting from the lower edge of the valve, said abutment forming a partition to constitute a steam-space within the cylinder, the cylinder having an opening to admit steam on one side of the abutment and an exhaust on the other side thereof.

5. A valve for steam-engines comprising a segmental plate having an opening therein and a horizontally-projecting abutment extending from the lower edge of the plate for the purpose described.

6. In a steam-engine the combination with a cylinder and a revolving piston therein, a laterally-disposed strip positioned within the cylinder, and a segmental valve arranged above the strip and resting thereon, said valve having an opening to admit steam to contact with the piston.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ED WARD J. BEAKLE Y.

Witnesses:

T. S. MATTHEWS, M. D. CORLEW.

ICC 

